In general, a plasticizer is composed of an ester produced by reaction of an alcohol with polycarboxylic acid such as phthalic acid or adipic acid. Examples of commercially essential plasticizers include: adipates of C8, C9 and C10 alcohols, for example di(2-ethyl hexyl)adipate, diisononyl adipate and diisodecyl adipate; and phthalates of C8, C9 and C10 alcohols, for example, di(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate.
Specifically, the di(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate is incorporated in toys, films, shoes, coatings, flooring materials, gloves, wallpaper, artificial leather, sealants, tarpaulin, car floor coatings, furniture, foam mats and acoustic insulation panels via plastisol and dry mixing. This is also used for production of exterior and insulating materials for PVC cables, and other calendered plastic PVC products.
Di(2-ethyl hexyl)adipate is predominantly primarily used for films and is used at a low level for other products such as wallpaper, artificial leather, car floor coatings, gloves and sealants. In particular, di(2-ethyl hexyl)adipate is predominantly used when products are used at a low temperature and/or plastisol is used as a process intermediate.
Apart from di(2-ethyl hexyl)adipate, a great deal of research associated with eco-friendly plasticizers continues due to environmental problems associated with phthalate-based plasticizers.